Letter: Clean Power Plan program promotes health

As a lung specialist I have concerns with the effects of climate change and the increased frequency of respiratory illnesses like asthma and COPD in Missouri. A 2012 study found 1 in 10 Missourians suffer from asthma with a higher prevalence in woman, children and those with lower incomes. The global consequences of climate change seems overwhelming as reported in The Lancet, http://press.thelancet.com/ Climate2Commission.pdf. What I can do is support the EPA proposed Clean Power Plan, a common-sensed plan to cut carbon pollution from power plants.

The effect of carbon pollution is no longer a future concept and is already impacting our society with major and increasingly prevalent respiratory illnesses for all ages. There are those who say it is too expensive and would have a negative impact on our society. What they are ignoring is the financial impact of health care cost, decreased productivity, and the inability to educate a population who suffer from illnesses that are no fault of their own. What we need to support is the promotion of a healthy population and not the financial pockets of the few.